Baby Development Series 6-9 Months

The days of holding a tiny crying newborn are gone. Now you’re living in a baby-proofed world because your little munchkin is all over the place. If she isn’t sleeping, she’s probably on the go. It’s an exciting and fun time for everyone because she’s doing new things every day. From her to movements to her mannerisms to her cute “bababa” words, here’s a look at what else she’ll be doing during 6-9 months.

Physical Growth

If your sweet baby seems a little heavier these days, that’s totally normal. She’s not gaining weight for fat storage, which is what she was doing for the first few months of her life. Now she is building muscle. During these three months, she will master controlling her body, her limbs and that cute noggin of hers. That means the next big milestone is crawling. Signs that she may be ready to crawl include scooting or rocking back-and-fourth on all fours. By the time she hits 9-months-old, she may start pulling herself up in an effort to stand up.

Gross Motor Skills

She is capable of doing all sorts of skills that require fine and gross motor awareness. As she grows stronger, she’ll simultaneously be working on her dexterity. This means she can do the “rake” grip where she holds an object with four fingers. She can move objects from one hand to the other and eat from a spoon.

What She's Thinking

Your baby’s brain has developed trillions of neural connectors since her birth and now you are probably witnessing all of this amazing progress. For example, you may notice that when she babbles, her baby talk has a tone. She may begin her “sentences” with one tone and end her stream of chatter on a different note as if she’s asking a question. And since her range of emotions are also developing, she may get fearful around strangers, cry at loud noises or react to other people’s moods. These are all normal social development milestones.

Safety First

Life changes rapidly when your baby starts getting more active during this stage of development. All of the odd safety contraptions you’ve been seeing for baby proofing your house start to make sense.

Why Baby Proofing Matters

Why Baby Proofing Matters
The developmental milestones she’ll be reaching during 6-9 months include a lot of exploratory behaviors that require a keen eye. For example, at this age babies want to put everything in their mouths -- earrings, necklaces, keys, your pet’s nose – anything they can get their hands on! You need to keep an eye out for small objects and make sure toys are age appropriate. Plus, babies tend to start pulling up on furniture and many begin to crawl. They can get in and out of more things than you think, so you need to protect them from things like staircases, bathtubs and low cabinets that they can open. Another important activity that will require an even more watchful eye is bath time. Now she’s soapy, slippery, wiggly and she can move. She can also reach for the faucet and accidentally turn on hot water. Even if you use a bath ring seat, you need to keep one hand on her at all times. Check out more tips for bath safety here!

Before you know it, your little tot will be ready to celebrate her very first birthday with many more exciting new milestones to reach.